Song Types Research Articles

Body size shapes song in honeyeaters.

Birdsongs are among the most distinctive animal signals. Their evolution is thought to be shaped simultaneously by habitat structure and by the constraints of morphology. Habitat structure affects song transmission and detectability, thus influencing song (the acoustic adaptation hypothesis), while body size and beak size and shape necessarily constrain song characteristics (the morphological constraint hypothesis). Yet, support for the acoustic adaptation and morphological constraint hypotheses remains equivocal, and their simultaneous examination is infrequent. Using a phenotypically diverse Australasian bird clade, the honeyeaters (Aves: Meliphagidae), we compile a dataset consisting of song, environmental, and morphological variables for 163 species and jointly examine predictions of these two hypotheses. Overall, we find that body size constrains song frequency and pace in honeyeaters. Although habitat type and environmental temperature influence aspects of song, that influence is indirect, likely via effects of environmental variation on body size, with some evidence that elevation constrains the evolution of song peak frequency. Our results demonstrate that morphology has an overwhelming influence on birdsong, in support of the morphological constraint hypothesis, with the environment playing a secondary role generally via body size rather than habitat structure. These results suggest that changing body size (a consequence of both global effects such as climate change and local effects such as habitat transformation) will substantially influence the nature of birdsong.

Changes in the cellular makeup of motor patterning circuits drive courtship song evolution in Drosophila.

How evolutionary changes in genes and neurons encode species variation in complex motor behaviors is largely unknown. Here, we develop genetic tools that permit a neural circuit comparison between the model species Drosophila melanogaster and the closely related species D.yakuba, which has undergone a lineage-specific loss of sine song, one of the two major types of male courtship song in Drosophila. Neuroanatomical comparison of song-patterning neurons called TN1 across the phylogeny demonstrates a link between the loss of sine song and a reduction both in the number of TN1 neurons and the neurites supporting the sine circuit connectivity. Optogenetic activation confirms that TN1 neurons in D.yakuba have lost the ability to drive sine song, although they have maintained the ability to drive the singing wing posture. Single-cell transcriptomic comparison shows that D.yakuba specifically lacks a cell type corresponding to TN1A neurons, the TN1 subtype that is essential for sine song. Genetic and developmental manipulation reveals a functional divergence of the sex determination gene doublesex in D.yakuba to reduce TN1 number by promoting apoptosis. Our work illustrates the contribution of motor patterning circuits and cell type changes in behavioral evolution and uncovers the evolutionary lability of sex determination genes to reconfigure the cellular makeup of neural circuits.

[Effectiveness comparison of ultrasound-guided closed reduction and Kirschner wire fixation for different unstable humeral lateralcondylar fractures of children].

To compare the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided closed reduction and Kirschner wire fixation for different unstable humeral lateralcondylar fractures of children. The clinical data of 94 children with unstable humeral lateralcondylar fractures admitted to three medical centers between January 2021 and October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The children were divided into three groups according to the Song classification and whether the elbow joint was dislocated or not, including 42 cases of Song 4 type (group A), 38 cases of Song 5 type (group B), and 14 cases of elbow joint dislocation (group C). There was no significant difference in gender, age, side, cause of injury, and time from injury to operation among the three groups ( P>0.05). All children were treated with ultrasound-guided closed reduction and Kirschner wire fixation. The operation time and complications of the three groups were recorded and compared, and the failure of closed reduction was evaluated by ultrasound. X-ray examination was performed at last follow-up to measure the Baumann angle, condylar angle, carrying angle, and lateral osteophyte of the affected side; the extension, flexion, pronation, and supination range of motion of the affected elbow joint were measured; the function of the elbow joint was evaluated by Mayo score. The operation time in group A was significantly longer than that in groups B and C ( P<0.05). There were 7, 2, and 5 cases of closed reduction failure in groups A, B, and C, respectively, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of the closed reduction failure ( P>0.05). All patients were followed up 6-28 months, with an average of 15.7 months. There was no significant difference in the follow-up time among the three groups ( P>0.05). Complications: in group A, there were 2 cases of delayed union, 4 cases of needle tract infection, 1 case of trochlear necrosis, and 39 cases of lateral osteophyte; in group B, there was 1 case of malunion, 5 cases of needle tract infection, 1 case of redisplacement, and 26 cases of lateral osteophyte; in group C, there were 2 cases of needle tract infection and 10 cases of lateral osteophyte. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications among the three groups ( P>0.05). No cubitus varus or cubitus valgus deformity was found in all patients. At last follow-up, except that the condylar angle in group A was significantly greater than that in groups B and C ( P<0.05), there was no significant difference in other imaging indicators, elbow range of motion, or Mayo score between groups ( P>0.05). The Song type 4 of humeral lateralcondylar fracture treated with ultrasound-guided closed reduction and Kirschner wire fixation has a longer operation time, more postoperative complications, and is more prone to lateral osteophyte.

Efficient quality assurance and quality control for passive acoustic monitoring data: reducing and documenting false-positive and false-negative errors

ABSTRACT Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) are widely used to survey for a variety of taxa. This survey method allows for high spatial and temporal coverage but will typically include identification errors that can bias estimates of occupancy. In some instances, verifying all individual detections is prohibitive. To direct verification effort, we developed a model to estimate the probability that transcribers would agree on an identification. Agreement probability was positively influenced by transcriber skill, identification confidence, species commonness and some song types. In contrast, agreement probability was lower when an acoustic signal was classified as a trill. We evaluated our model on independent data where all species detections were verified, and verification effort (time) was quantified. Our model performed well at predicting transcriber agreement on independent data (AUC = 0.71). We applied the model to randomised subsets of the independent data to compare the cost benefit of three approaches to verification under varying effort. We show how modelling probability of transcriber agreement can be used to more efficiently direct verification of species acoustic tags. Our approach could be adapted elsewhere to quantify and reduce species misidentifications in unverified passive acoustic monitoring data for either manual processing or detections from automated classifiers.

Study on the Regional Differences of Shaanxi Folk Songs

One side of the soil and water to support one people, create one side of the soil and water people sing a song. There is a close connection between music and geography. Most of the production of folk music culture depends on the corresponding natural geographical environment and shows the corresponding regional music characteristics, creating the regional folk songs or lofty or delicate, so as to outline a colorful traditional folk music masterpiece. Shaanxi folk song is the song of the laborer, word of mouth from generation to generation to preserve and spread, because of the unique geographical environment of Shaanxi province, Shaanxi folk song regional whether from the singing style, performance form, instrument has typical regional characteristics, this paper depends on the geographical environment of Shaanxi province brief analysis of three regions of Shaanxi folk song type and its characteristics.

Song’s &amp; Non-Song’s Pattern Classification Using Neural Network

The problem of pattern classification between musical or non-musical song audio snippets and non-songs is the main subject of this paper. The machine learning approach accomplishes the goal of automatically interpreting recordings to see if they are songs or not. There are two types of songs: musical and non-musical. This is due to the possibility that it could be difficult to discern between non-musical songs and non-song patterns. Thus, it is necessary to have such systems that differentiate between non-song patterns and songs, whether or not they are melodic. The extraction and selection of characteristics have made advantage of the preprocessing phases. The features that were obtained were pitch, intensity, length (duration), tempo, and sample rate. The Back-propagation Multi-layer Perceptron Neural Network model is used for both dataset testing and model training. This technique will distinguish between a musical or non-musical song and a non-musical piece (such conversation and speech). Training data for the dataset included recordings of speeches and dialogues in Hindi and Urdu for non-song audio files, as well as audio of various male and female singers from Pakistan and India for song audio files in Hindi and Urdu. When the classifier was evaluated using a range of audio samples, 90% of its classifications for songs and non-songs were accurate.

Male and female red-cheeked cordon bleus sing similar yet individualistic songs.

Birdsong is an excellent system for studying complex vocal signaling in both males and females. Historically, most research in captivity has focused only on male song. This has left a gap in our understanding of the environmental, neuroendocrine, and mechanistic control of female song. Here, we report the overall acoustic features, repertoire, and stereotypy of both male and female Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleus (Uraeginthus bengalus) (RCCBs) songs in the lab. We found few sex differences in the acoustic structure, song repertoire, and song stereotypy of RCCBs. Both sexes had similar song entropy, peak frequency, and duration. Additionally, individuals of both sexes sang only a single song type each and had similar levels of song and syllable stereotypy. However, we did find that female RCCBs had higher song bandwidth but lower syllable repertoires. Finally, and most strikingly, we found highly individualistic songs in RCCBs. Each individual produced a stereotyped and unique song with no birds sharing song types and very few syllable types being shared between birds of either sex. We propose that RCCBs represent a promising species for future investigations of the acoustic sex differences in song in a lab environment, and also for understanding the evolutionary driving forces behind individualistic songs.

Is syllable repetitions a song parameter important for male-male interactions in Eurasian reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)?

Song complexity has been identified as one song characteristic important in female choice, whereas its role in male-male interactions is less clear and not much is known which song characteristics are specifically important for territorial defense. In Acrocephalus warblers, males seem to increase song complexity towards females but reduce it during territorial disputes. One possibility to reduce song complexity could be achieved by repeating individual syllables. In this context here we examined the importance of males repeating syllables in male-male interactions. We hypothesis that repeating syllables signals a males general fighting ability, aggressive status or willingness to attack. In a playback experiment we investigated the behavioral response of unmated, territorial Eurasian reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) males towards two simultaneously singing intruders whereby the song of the two simulated intruders differs in the degree of syllable repetitions. The response of the territory owner was determined by using several behavioral parameters. Our results revealed that males approached faster and stayed significantly longer near the song with few syllable repetitions. However, the proportion of males approaching the song with high or low syllable repetitions first, as well as the minimal distance to which males approach to the two song types did not differ as well. Thus, the weaker response towards the high repetitive song playback suggests territorial males to be more intimidated by the aggressive nature of that song type.

Concordance of movements and songs enhances receiver responses to multimodal display in the starling

Many animals produce signals that consist of vocalizations and movements to attract mates or deter rivals. We usually consider them as components of a single multimodal signal because they are temporally coordinated. Sometimes, however, this relationship takes on a more complex spatiotemporal character, resembling choreographed music. Timing is important for audio-visual integration, but choreographic concordance requires even more skill and competence from the signaller. Concordance should therefore have a strong impact on receivers; however, little is known about its role in audio-visual perception during natural interactions. We studied the effects of movement and song type concordance in audio-visual displays of the starling, Sturnus vulgaris. Starlings produce two types of movements that naturally appear in specific phrases of songs with a similar temporal structure and amplitude. In an experiment with a taxidermic robotic model, males responded more to concordant audio-visual displays, which are also naturally preferred, than to discordant displays. In contrast, the effect of concordance was independent of the specific combination of movement and song types in a display. Our results indicate that the concordance of movements and songs was critical to the efficacy of the display and suggest that the information that birds gained from concordance could not be obtained by adding information from movements and songs.

Сангарил у мирян-буддистов Бурятии

This article summarizes the materials collected and published by the authors during their field research in Buryatia on the practice of the collective prayer of lay Buddhists, referred to as sangaril. It was not until the twentieth century that researchers began studying this phenomenon of lay Buddhists. Among the most prominent studies are the works of S. G. Zhambalova and D. S. Zhamsueva. The examination of these works and some earlier sources has enabled the authors of this article to present a meticulous account of the history surrounding the introduction of sangaril during the early stages of Soviet power. A comprehensive description covers the timeline, implementation process, participant prerequisites, and religious artifacts associated with the ritual. The structure of three sangarils recorded in the villages of Ushkhaita and Kizhinga of the Kizhinga district and in the Khorinsk settlement of the Khorinsk district of the Republic of Buryatia is characterized. The variation in the sequence of sections of the ritual is discussed, with a focus on the normative, recurrent in different villages, and mobile ones. The correlation between Tibetan, Mongolian, and Buryat sacred texts is discussed. The analysis covers the musical component of the ritual, including the recitative reading of mani prayers alternating with the performance of magtaals (glorifications to Buddhist shrines sung on typical song tunes). The Buryat text of one magtaal is provided with a Russian translation and comments. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of sangaril in preserving the cultural values and ethnic identity of the Buryat people.

Strategies of Music Learning for Children With Special Needs in Kindergarten

Hj. Isriati Baiturrahman 2 Semarang kindergarten, which is included in the category of public schools, has differences from other public schools, namely there are children with special needs. This study aims to determine the learning process and strategies used in Hj. Israti Baiturahman 2 Semarang Kindergarten. This research uses qualitative research methods, as well as various theories for qualitative research. The result of this study was that during the music learning process, the teachers introduced and listened to several types of songs, such as regional music, to see the children’s responses. And the music learning strategy implemented at TK Hj. Isriati Baiturrahman 2 Semarang is carried out with the process of seeing, imitating, and finding. The strategy is to know the condition of children, especially children with special needs, because of each child's emotional differences. The imitation strategies that teachers use greatly help children in learning comprehension. Learning strategies make teachers more creative in learning in the classroom.

Social Evaluation of Female Preferences in Birds’ Songs and Songs Function in Mating

The selection of a mate is influenced by bird songs, which are known for their complexity and diversity. This essay delves into the realm of female mate preferences within various avian species, presenting both supportive and contradictory evidence regarding the importance of larger song repertoires. It emphasizes the distinction between controlled laboratory settings and ecologically authentic field studies, revealing nuanced findings. Furthermore, it explores additional factors like individual variation, song complexity, cognitive abilities, and contextual adaptability to elucidate this mixed outcome, enriching our comprehension of avian communication dynamics. Male bird songs emerge as essential conduits for conveying vital information that enables females to make informed choices about potential mates. Through song types and tones, they transmit demographic information, social status, and physical condition, offering females a means of remote evaluation. The examination of distinct song behaviors, including duets, flight songs, and the dawn chorus, highlights their significance as indicators of partnership, strength, and commitment. The varied strategies employed by male birds and the selective decisions made by females underscore the profound role of avian songs in shaping relationships and ensuring the perpetuation of species. This marks a substantial contribution to our understanding of avian mate selection dynamics.

Recovery of cirl bunting, Emberiza cirlus, song diversity after translocation

AbstractIn order to improve conservation outcomes translocation or reintroduction of individuals may be necessary. When song learning birds are translocated, changes in the cultural diversity of song repertoires, or abnormal vocalizations, in the new population can be a problem. We monitored song production over 8 years in a reintroduced population of the cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus). Chicks were removed from nests in Devon, UK, between 2006 and 2011, translocated at 6 days old to be hand‐reared and released in Cornwall, UK. Recordings at the release site in 2011 showed a significantly reduced population repertoire and individuals sang abnormal song types compared to the source populations in Devon. However, recordings in 2019, showed population song repertoire had reached the level of source populations of similar size, and song types were species typical. Our study shows that species can recover from a cultural bottleneck and suggests that, for some song learning birds, if translocation of nestlings is necessary it may not lead to long‐term problems for communication and thus population persistence. For future translocations of nestlings, we recommend that efforts are made to provide tutoring to enable song learning. This may be achieved by providing recordings, but may also include providing adult song tutors. In addition, playback of “normal” songs to translocated populations may aid in development of species typical song repertoires, although care must be taken that this is not disturbing the reintroduced birds.

“But first let’s have a dance”: Music in Aphra Behn’s Plays

ABSTRACT This quantitative analysis of Aphra Behn’s musical terms demonstrates that her comedies need to be understood in the context of seventeenth-century music. As a Restoration dramatist, Behn experienced the early phase of the Baroque. Despite the considerable presence of music in her works, scholarship on Behn and music has been neglected. Nodes of her preferred terms—dance, sing, song, and musick—are mapped and analyzed, focusing on four of the most musical plays: The Revenge (1680), The Roundheads (1682), The Luckey Chance (1687), and The Emperor of the Moon (1687). As a collaborator with professional musicians, dancing masters, and actors, Behn demonstrates facility with instrumentation and a range of musical affects, dance forms, and song types. Her comedies exemplify a theatrical phenomenon that had an intelligible, palpable, but ephemeral impact on characters and audience members alike. Her original comic musicals provide keys for understanding how music functioned in art and culture.

Geographic variations of song and rain calls of the Chaffinch across the ranges of three subspecies

Abstract We analyze the variability of the Chaffinch’s (Fringilla coelebs) song and rain calls in 20 populations localized along a transect of about 3,000 km, crossing the territory of European Russia between the White Sea, Crimean Peninsula and the Caucasus Mountains. Three subspecies of Chaffinch inhabit this area: European (F. c. coelebs), Caucasian (F. c. caucasicus), and Crimean (F. c. solomkoi). The results of cluster analysis based on song show that the populations of Crimea and southeastern Dagestan stand out the most. All other populations fall clearly into two clusters corresponding to the European and Caucasian subspecies. In most of the European subspecies vast range in Russia, the “buzzing” dialect of the rain call is widespread. Only in the extreme northwest of Russia, it is replaced by a whistling dialect. In most of the Caucasus and in the Ciscaucasia, Chaffinches also emit exclusively whistling sounds, but of a completely different structure. In the Western Caucasus, Chaffinches perform also a whistling call having a unique two-syllable structure. The Crimean peninsula is inhabited by whistling Chaffinches as well, although the frequency modulation of its call is different from that of Caucasian subspecies. We discuss the spatial distribution of song types and of rain calls dialects within the ranges of subspecies and in the contact zones between them.

A Hermeneutic Analysis of Selected Yorùbá Pentecostal Songs

The Christianity that reached Africa, especially the sub-Saharan region, had undergone several stages of inculturation and re-organization. The changing social, political, and cultural situation of the people had a tremendous impact on the Christian religion. As Christianity moved through the intellectual and political worlds, especially among the Yorùbá people of southwestern Nigeria, it acquired new categories of thought. Yorùbá philosophical language began to be applied in expressing some of the mysteries of the Christian faith. This was particularly evident in the articulation of the theological language expressed through various Christian songs. Different types of songs collected during the worship among the selected African Indigenous Churches and those produced by some artists were analyzed through the lens of textual exegesis. This paper considered the impact of the emerging trend of diffusion of African philosophy, worldviews, and Christian theology in the selected Christian songs. This in turn revealed the dynamism or the emerging trends in African Christianity that authenticate the pluricultural nature of contemporary world Christianity. The work demonstrated that Christianity is an essential part of the identity of the Yorùbá people, which is best demonstrated in the folkloric expressions, especially songs.

The Influence of Different Media Modes of Advertising on the Attractiveness of Consumers

Nowadays, more and more people begin to learn about a product through advertising, and the content of the advertisement usually determines whether people buy the product. Therefore, the author began this study to explore the influence of different advertising media on consumers. This study was conducted by questionnaire, asking respondents to watch four types of video advertisements, and then ranking them according to the most attractive to the least attractive, and finally writing down the reasons for ranking. The results show that fashion ads are the most popular. This kind of advertisement usually appears in a popular, fashionable and high-end image. This was followed by celebrity endorsements and song types, tied for second place. This type of advertising usually uses celebrity and musical elements to increase its appeal. Finally, there is the genre of situational drama, which often conveys the characteristics and advantages of the product through plots and story lines. Therefore, advertising companies in the production of advertising, should not only consider the production of fashion types of advertising, but also choose the media mode of advertising according to the specific groups, in order to improve the attractiveness and effect of advertising, and to promote the promotion of product sales and market share.

Enriching the Charm of Folk Songs with Multi part Forms: A Practical Exploration of the Creation of Multi part Chorus of Qiang Folk Songs

The Qiang ethnic group is a long-standing ethnic group in China, and its historical changes, religious beliefs, customs, and customs have great research value. Qiang folk songs are a vivid display of their ethnic customs and living customs. Qiang folk songs have a rich flavor and diverse forms, including love songs, labor songs, mountain songs, wine songs, and other types. Folk song choir is an important way to inherit and promote Qiang folk songs. This article introduces the types of Qiang folk songs and creates a multi part choir to enrich the charm of folk songs with multi tone sound, in order to enable more music enthusiasts to understand Qiang folk songs and culture.

Does female choice for song complexity drive sexual selection in humpback whales?

Male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) sing a long, stereotyped, and culturally transmitted song display. While song likely functions in sexual selection, whether it is primarily directed at females and/or males is still debated. Most males within a single population sing the same, slowly evolving song type. However, multiple humpback whale song revolutions (where a song introduced from a neighboring population rapidly and completely replaces the existing song) have spread across the South Pacific region from the east coast of Australia to French Polynesia. How cultural evolution and sexual selection interact in this complex vocal display is not well understood. We investigated song-mediated female mate choice in humpback whales using 20 years of paternity data and song recordings from individually identified males in the small, South Pacific population of New Caledonia. As mating has never been observed in humpback whales, we assessed male reproductive success (calf paternity) and song complexity (unit repertoire and song length) of individual males. We found that males who successfully sired offspring had on average higher song complexity than males who did not sire offspring. This suggests females may select mates at least partially based on song complexity, and thus, song being primarily directed at females.

Subjective salience and the effects of familiarity with birdsongs and insect songs in noise environments

In Japan, birdsong is used to communicate the position of stairwells to visually impaired people at train stations. However, more than 40% of visually impaired people reported that such sounds were difficult to identify. Train companies seek to present sounds that are loud enough to be detected, but not loud enough to cause annoyance in noise environments. In this study, we examined the salience of different types of bird and insect songs in noise environments. We evaluated the subjective saliences of bird and insect songs with equal sound pressure levels using paired comparison methods. A total of 25 participants evaluated six types of bird and insect songs under three noise conditions. The relationships among subjective salience, physical parameters, and familiarity were examined. The results indicated that the sounds of Horornis diphone and Meimuna opalifera were the most salient types of birdsongs and insect songs, respectively, in noise environments. The degree of temporal and spectral change, binaural similarity, pitch, pitch strength, and familiarity were significant predictors of the subjective salience of birdsongs and insect songs in noise environments.This study contributes to enhance the safety of visually challenged people and to create a more attractive sound environment.